Rams Film Review: Former top draft pick among standouts against Cowboys
Logan Bruss and other Rams players that stood out on the film
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Blaine Grisak
The Los Angeles Rams wrapped up their first preseason game agains the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon with a 13-12 win. After going through the All-22, it’s easier to see which players stood out and made their presence felt. Overall, it was a very good performance for the Rams. Here are the top standouts after watching the game film.
OL Logan Bruss
It’s obvious that Logan Bruss didn’t develop how the Rams probably would have liked him to when they drafted him in the third round. However, following a major leg injury that derailed his rookie season, a year on the practice squad was potentially good for him. As a whole, the Rams offensive line played well. With that said, Bruss may have been the most impressive of the bunch.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bruss had the highest pass-blocking grade among all offensive linemen in Week 1 of the preseason. He simply looked dominant in pass protection with nobody able to gain much ground on him. In the run game, it was Bruss’ strength that really stood out. It may be too little too late for Bruss, but Sunday’s game against the Cowboys was a positive.
EDGE Nick Hampton
It is worth noting someone like Zach VanValkenburg here who did perform well. However, if the Rams needed one edge rusher to show he was too good to be on the field for the preseason, that player was Hampton. The Rams have a top-3 in place at edge with Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Michael Hoecht. Behind them is where the defense needs someone to step up. Hampton is a player that brings a lot of speed and actually displayed good power on Sunday afternoon.
In 21 snaps, Hampton had five pressures. The second-year edge rusher had a win percentage of 42.9 percent. Hampton affected throws and had an impact on the game. It was exactly the type of performance that the Rams needed to see. It would be a mild surprise if he was on the field for preseason games two and three.
WR Jordan Whittington
Whittington was probably the most impressive play maker for the Rams offense. The Rams rookie was like a magnet when the ball was thrown his direction. Among players with more than one target, Whittington was the fifth-ranked wide receiver according to PFF. The rookie’s physicality was on display a few different times as he went 4-for-4 in contested catch opportunities. Whittington has a running back background which was seen on his 31-yard catch and run in which he bounced off the first defender and continued to pick up yards.
Additionally, Whittington showed up in the run game. Rams receivers are expected to block and Whittington is no different. There were a few plays in which the sixth-round pick displayed physicality as a blocker. He finished as the 10th best run-blocker among wide receivers via PFF, including number one on zone runs.
Said McVay,
“He’s a grown man and he played like a grown man with the ball in his hands, did a great job without it. I just really like him. He’s going to be a factor for us and I thought today was a good start for him and he’s the type of guy that’s only going to continue to grow from that.”
We’ll see how much Whittington plays as a rookie as there are four solid players ahead of him on the depth chart. With that said, it’s very clear that the Rams have a player that they like.
OL Beaux Limmer
Limmer played 44 snaps on Sunday and was the third-highest graded center in pass protection according to Pro Football Focus.
However, he also displayed good strength and ability in the run game before he left due to an injury. The Rams need someone that they can rely on as a backup center on the depth chart behind Steve Avila. Limmer showed plenty of positive moments and it will be interesting to see if the Rams get him some work at guard over the next two weeks.
DB Jaylen McCollough
It’s not likely that McCollough will make the roster. The Rams have a lot of safeties and it will be difficult for anyone to break within the group of five at the top in Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, Russ Yeast, and John Johnson III. McVay seemed impressed with McCollough as well saying,
“I thought Jaylen McCollough really showed up. Jaylen’s got a similar to what I was saying about Jordan Whittington, that’s how I feel about Jalen McCullough, mature demeanor, tough kind of a no-nonsense kind of guy, like being around him. He’s done a good job.”
McCollough could absolutely earn a spot on the practice squad and be a player that the Rams call up throughout the season to potentially play on special teams. The undrafted free agent had two really nice open-field tackles and that will embody what defensive coordinator Chris Shula wants in his defensive backs.
Honest Thoughts on Stetson Bennett
When it comes to the preseason, it’s important to look at process over results. This is not to give Stetson Bennett a free pass because four interceptions in any setting isn’t acceptable. While he threw four interceptions, it very easily could have been five or six. When Bennett is able to stay on schedule or get moved outside of the pocket, there are things to like. With that said, starting NFL defenses are going to recognize that and force you to win from the pocket and won’t always allow plays to stay on schedule.
Bennett made two really nice throws from the far hash to the far sideline at the 15-18 yard mark down the field. That’s an NFL caliber throw and shows that he has the arm to win in the NFL.
However, he must show that he can improve from a processing and decision making standpoint. While that can be tabbed to Bennett not playing for a year, it was also a problem during the 2023 preseason. PFF credited the Rams quarterback with four turnover-worthy plays which was twice as many as any other quarterback in Week 1 of the preseason. If he’s going to show that he has a future in the NFL, he needs to show that he can read the field.
At the end of the day, the Rams didn’t draft a third string quarterback in the fourth round. During that stage of the draft, teams are looking for players that they can have as a backup quarterback. Bennett is also 26 years old which means that this isn’t some developmental quarterback prospect. While may be the third string quarterback now, he needs to show enough positive moments that display that he can be a backup in the NFL.
Honorable Mentions
Tyler Davis
It will be interesting to see if Tyler Davis will have a rotational role along the defensive line during the regular season. He had a relentless pursuit towards the football against the Cowboys, showing up in the run game. After pursuing a screen too far up field early in the game, he recognized it later on which shows that he is mentally checked in and seeing tendencies.
Said McVay after the game,
“He was great. I thought he was really active, I thought you felt him. You know, he was able to beat the center on the block back when they pulled the guard to get a negative. I thought he read out of the stack well on a screen that they had on the near sideline. But I thought he was active. I thought one of those things that you feel about him is when the games come on, he really shows up and that’s what the Clemson tape said. That’s when you talk to their coaches and then you get around him in some of these competitive settings. I thought it was a real positive step in the right direction for Tyler today.”
Omar Speights
Jake Hummel also played well at linebacker in the first half, especially in coverage. However, Omar Speights was someone who impressed int he second half. Speights was consistently near the ball and showed up in the run game with one example coming in the play below.
